Aquarium



Dec, 12, 1933. w. WELSHAUSEN AQUAR IUM Original Filed Jan. 6, 1932 Patented Dec. 12, 1933 res PAT NT OFFICE AQUARIUM William Welshausen Allenhurst, N. J." Original application January 6, 1932, Serial No.

Divided and this application July 21,

1932. Serial N0 623,883

r 3 Claims. (Cl. 261-121) I This invention relates to and is a divisional application of my co-pending application entitled Aquariumaiiled January 6, 1932, Serial Number 585,113.

' An object of the presentinvention be easily vreac ihed to. empty, any water leaking past the aerating valve. without disturbing the aquarium..

which may be quickly mounted'on the bottom of the aquarium without extensive alterations when applied to aquariums now in use and which may be easily fabricated into aquariums during -manufacture and whichiwill in all instances be water tight so as to require no attention.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain noyel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of.

this specification,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through an aquarium equipped with my improved aerating valve, I Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section through the aerating valve shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, 10 designates an aquarium which may be of any desired type. In the present embodiment, however, I have shown an electric heater 11 and a thermostat 12 for controlling the heater, these devices being described and claimed in said co-pending application.

403-, The aerating valve 14, comprising the subject matter of this invention, embodies an exteriorly threaded tube 36 which ispassed into an opening 15 in the bottom of the aquarium, and aquarium cement 37 is pressed into the opening around the exterior of the tube to make a water tight seal.

e is to provide. a novel aerating valve having a sump which may Afurther object is to provide an aerating valve is provided withan inverted sabscantiauy frusto- I conical valve seat 40. in which is mounted a valve 41 that is held closed by the water pressure in the aquarium. The valve 41isof the. mushroom type and is provided with a conical weight 42 on the underneath side which projects loosely; through the port in the valve seat 40 to hold the valve in gravitated, or closed position. The edge of the valve 41 is tapered, as shown, to seat snugly against the seat. 40, the weight 42 maintaining tight contact of the tapered edge of the valvewith the seat so that leakage is obviated.

A deflector .cap 43 is provided with a flat. base 44 having a central threaded'opening, 45 which is screwed on to the upper end of the casing 38, which .latter is provided with screw threads,- as shown,-for this purpose. The top of the cap is convexed. or arched in contour and is provided with a plurality of minute perforations 46 through which the'aerating air escapes from the casing into the aquarium. The arched or convexed top of the cap functions to spread the aerating air over a wide funnel shaped area, as will be understood.

For supplying the aerating air to the valve a bottom casing 4'7 is provided at the upper end of the bore with screw threads 48 adapted to engage the threaded exterior of the tube 36 below the bottom of the aquarium. The bottom casing is connected to a suitable air supply pipe 49 by means of a lateral integral inlet pipe 50 mounted on the side of said bottom casing. A gland nut 51 is carried on the end of the pipe to secure the end of the air supply pipe 49'leakage tight. Air entering the bottom casing through the pipe 50 will pass upward through the top casing 38 and dislodge the valve 41 against the water pressure in the aquarium. The incoming air bubbles up through the perforations 46 in the spreader cap and aerates the water sufiiciently to maintain "life in the aquarium.

The open bottom of the bottom casing 47 is closed by a flanged cap 51 which is provided at the upper end of its bore with screw threads -52 to engage corresponding exterior screw threads 53 formed on the lower end of said bottom casing 47. The bottom of the cap is provided with a drain cook 54 which may be opened from time to time to drain oif any water which may seep downwardly through the casings 38 and 47' when the valve is open and collect in the cap 1 51 which functions as a sump in adition to closing the lower open end of the bottom casing 48. i

It will be observed that a washer 55 is inter- 2 .7 posed between the top edge of the bottom casing 47 and the bottom face of theaquariumbottom,

this washer coaots with the flange 39 on the base of the top casing 38 to secure both casings in tight engagement with 'the bottom of, the.

aquarium. This washer may, if desired, be formed as an integral flange on the bottom casing 47 to serve the same purpose. However, when a washer is used the washer may be threaded, as shown at 56, to engage the exterior threads of the tube 36 so that the washer may be tightly; secured up against the bottom of the aquarium, to mount the device on the aquarium bottom be fore the bottom casing 47 is screwed on tethe tube 36. From time to time the washer may be screwed up tight against the bottom-faced the;

aquarium bottom and serves as a'jam'nut, and

this may be done without disturbing the bottom casing 4'7 or air supply pipe-49. g t

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of my invention willsbe fully understood'without further explanae 'tion. 7

.What isclaimedis: v

1. In an aquarium, an aerating valve comprising a top casing, a bottom casing means for securing-the bottom casing to the lower side of the aquarium, a sump carried; by the bottom oasing below the lower side :of the aquarium,

a) valve in the'topcasing, means for-supplyingair to the casings, and a perforated spreader cap carried by the top casing, and having an arched top-disposed above the-valve. I

I 2; An aerating valve for aquariumscomprisring. an exteriorly threaded] tube adapted to bepassedthrough an opening inthe aquarium, a

' top-casing threaded'on to one end of the tube within the aquarium, a bottom casing threaded on' to the tube outside or" the aquarium and co- ,aeting with the tube and top casing in forming a continuous air passage, a cap closing the end; of the bottom casing and forming a sump, a

valve. carried by the top casing and adapted to'be held closed by a water pressure, a spreader cap carried by the. top casingandi having a' perforated arched. portion '1 disposed above the valve, and means connected with the bottom casing for supplying air to the valve.

An aerating valve for aquariums comprising an exteriorly threaded tube adapted to be passed through an opening in the aquarium bottom, a

threagledgogto the'upper end ofthe tube within the aquarium and having a base flange adapted tol: seat, against the top face of the aquarim bqttgin,"inverted substantially frusto conicafvalve seat carried by the upper end of thescasing havinga port, a mushroom valve having a taperedredge bearing against saidseat and having al weight through the valve,

port; in said seatg saidi valve adapted to be held closed by the combined-action of} the water" pressure in the aquarium and-'theweight ofsaid weight, a-washer threaded to said tube and bearing against- 'the bottom face-'01: "the aquarium bottomand ooacting with the base-flange of -said casingto firmly securethe-tubeandcasing up right on the aquarium bottom, a second-casing screwedonto the lower end flof saict tube "below Ill LME 

